The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has announced the changes in the rules that will be effective from the 2024-25 season with an intention to make the games more fluent and create more goalscoring chances. Such changes which are expected to take effect from January 1, 2024, have been welcomes and welcomed in equal measure by players, coaches, and fans.

One of the most significant changes is the special rule that is called a “power play”, similar to the rule in the ice hockey. In this new regulation, a team that has conceded a goal will be allowed to have ten men on the field for a span of two minutes and this is a time that the other team will be putting pressure on the defenders. This alteration is believed to result into more exciting and high scoring matches especially towards the later part of a close encounter.

A second important change is the changes in the rules of the penalty corner. The most significant change is going to come to the traditional setup which has been in use for decades in the game. While in the current format the attacking team is allowed to face five defenders including the goalkeeper, the new rules will allow only four defenders behind the goal line. This change is to enhance the chances of scoring goals from penalty corners as well as make the set-pieces more interesting.

The FIH has also brought into the changes in the substitution rules and these changes include the flying substitution like those of football. This will allow the teams to alter things during play without having to pause the game; which may result to more interesting strategies and shorter breaks.

Free hits: In other efforts to minimize disruptions in play, the federation has instituted a “self-pass” rule for free hits. New rules will include that players will be entitled to dribble the ball after a free hit has been granted without having to pick the ball up and pass to a teammate. This is expected to increase the pace of the game and also increase the number of attacks that originate from set pieces.

FIH President Tayyab Ikram said, “These changes have been adopted after consulting the players, coaches and officials from across the globe The FIH’s goal is to make hockey even more enjoyable for players and fans as well as retaining the fundamentals of the game which sets hockey aside from other sports.

Whereas the majority of people in the hockey society have embraced these changes as the natural development of the sport, there are always critics who are afraid that such changes are going to affect strategies and wellbeing of the players. Some of the national associations have sought for a grace period to enable the teams to employ the new regulations before they are applied in the important international competitions.

While the hockey world awaits these changes in the near future, questions can be asked on how these changes are going to impact the game at youth level and at the professional level. One thing is certain: the fans are waiting for the new changes of the rules which are expected to be implemented in the 2024-25 season and thus, the upcoming season will mark a new era for the international hockey.